Method of making carpeting



May 28, 1940.

RT. LAHEY METHOD OF MAKING CARBETING II Ill I III IIIIIIIIIILLLIIYVAJ LLLIIIH llllllll Filed May 18, 1938 I lllllll ll ATTORNEYS Patented May 2 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v2,202,663 7 METHOD OF MAKING OARPETING Frank T. Lahey, Monroe, N. Y.

Application May 18, 1938, Serial No. 208,583

9 Claims. (Cl. 154-2) This invention relates to the manufacture of carpets, rugs or similar pile fabric and while it is particularly adapted and intended for use in the manufacture of fioor coverings, it may be adapted to and used for other purposes.

The invention is useful in that it will reduce materially the cost of manufacturing this'material and will produce a carpet or rug having novel and useful properties and of great utility.

10 The product of the invention is dust and sift proof as it has a continuous and impervious base formed of a sheet of rubber in which the upright pile members are firmly embedded and secured by the vulcanization of the rubber.' The carpet or rug will, therefore, be more sanitary than existing carpetings which have a woven base. In addition the carpet will have longer life and give superior wear and have other'new and beneficial properties.

In the drawing the best known or preferred form of the invention is disclosed, but the disclosure is one specific method and variations and modifications may be adopted and used without changing or altering the basic features of the invention. Specifically, other means than that shown may be used forv assembling the fibres or pile material with the rubber strips preparatory to cutting the same into the combined pile and rubber elements which enter into the structure Fig. 2 is a. sheet of the material inthe'second stage of the operation showing how the strips 45 are out apart from a sheet. 1 1

Fig. ,3 is'a section through a finished carpeting taken along one of the strips.

Fig. 4 is a section through the carpetingat right angles thereto. v

50 In the best known or preferred method of car rying "out the process of my invention'I employ a drum or former indicated by the numeral' l which is secured to a rotatable shaft I; This may be of any suitable-or'practical length and 55 diameter. Over this drum is laid or wound one layer of the fibrous or thread elements of the finished carpet. Such elements are indicated at 2 and are closely laid together over the surface of the drum. This may be spirally wound or not as preferred. The fibrous elements, worsted, 5 thread, cords or the like,.may be the samle or different colors or the thread or fibre may be variegated, such details of coloring or design being determined by the manufacturer in accordance with the design of the carpeting. l0

When the drum has been covered with the fibrous elements laid as closely together as may be desirable, parallel strips of unvulcanized rubber 3 are laid transversely of the elements at regular intervals and firmly rolled into position 15 so that the fibrous elements 2 are intimately bonded and partially or wholly embedded in the rubber strips. The rubber strips may be of any thickness, it being evident that with; thinner strips 9. more dense pile structure will be se- 20 cured in the finished product. As suggested above other materials than rubber may besubstituted for the strips, and the rubber may be compounded in any desired formula. Rubber, however, is admirably adapted to the purposes 26 set forth, for it gives a flexible, waterproof and dust and sift-proof backing and affords a firm bond for the fibres.

It is desirable,although not necessary, to lay a second covering of the fibrous material over 30 the rubber strips, and such a covering is indicated. at 4. Again, the colors and arrangement of the material 'may'be selected with 'a view to the ornamental appearance of the finished carpeting. This layer of the fibrous material is insheet only is illu'strate'd for the purposes of disclosing'the invention;

When the sheath about the drum has been completed, it" is removed and a sheet similar to that shown in'Fig. 2 will result, in which par allel threads, cords orfibres are united to spaced, transverse parallel strips of the base material.

- While the drum zmethod is preferred, thisma-flto T 'terial may be. assembled upon a table'or in any,

other manner. I I I 'I'hesheet material is 'now' cut; transversely along the. lines 55,"midway"of the'rubber or binding strips, and at 6-45 therebetween so that there are formed a plurality of parallel strips of the rubber with the fibrous material projecting at one side therefrom, the depth of the pile being determined by the spacing of the cuts 6 from the rubber strips. It is possible to sever the sheet along lines at the edge of each rubber strip, but this is not as economical as the method just described.

These strips are then assembled on edge and side by side, as shown in Fig. 4, into the desired size of carpeting to be made and pressure applied to cause the rubber strips to be forced into intimate contact. The rubber is then vulcanized while the lateral pressure is maintained and a homogeneous rubber base will be formed with the ends of the fibrous elements forming the pile of the carpet. In the assembly of the strips, cement may be applied to their contacting faces and a layer of rubber 8 may also be applied to the base of the carpet. This added layer may be sprayed or brushed over the base and may be applied either before or after the vulcanization of the strips into the complete carpet. In laying up the strips, various colored piles may be assembled to secure the desired patterns and there is no limit to the designs which may be secured.

When the carpet or rug is completed, a structurewill be provided in which the piles are firmly embedded and vulcanized into the rubber base and the base will be impervious to dirt or dust, Will be flexible and last indefinitely. The rubber may be partially vulcanized before assembly with the fibres and this may be considered as unvulcanized" for the purposes hereof. If desired. the lower surface of the carpet may be molded with any pattern or design corresponding to the formation of the surface against which the base is held during vulcanization.

Other changes, modifications and additionsmay be made in carrying out or improving upon the invention without departing from the basic ideas disclosed herein. Where the term fibres" is used in the claims, it will be understood that this is for brevity only and any cords, threads, worsted or the like may be substituted. Where the term rubber is used, any vulcanizable gum or plastic suitable for the purpose is intended to be covered.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of making carpeting or the like, comprising forming a layer of parallel fibres secured to spaced, transverse parallel strips of plastic material, cutting said layer into parallel strips of the plastic with the fibrous material projecting therefrom, assembling a plurality of strips side by side with the fibrous material projecting from the same side of the assembled structure, and heating the plastic to set the same.

2. The method of making carpeting or the like, comprising forming a sheet of parallel fibres secured to spaced, parallel transverse strips of unvulcanized rubber, cutting said sheet along lines parallel to the strips -to leave fibres projecting from the side thereof, assembling the strips side by side with the fibres extending outwardly from the side of the assembled structure, and vulcanizing the rubber to form the base of the carpeting.

3. The method of making carpeting or the like, comprising forming a sheet of parallel fibres secured to spaced, parallel transvese strips of rubber, cutting the sheet along lines between the rubber strips and also dividing the rubber strips, assembling the strips side by side with the fibres projecting from one side of the assembly, and vulcanizing the rubber strips into a homogeneous whole.

4. The method of making carpeting or the like, comprising forming a sheet of parallel fibres secured to spaced, parallel transverse strips of rubber, cutting the sheet along lines between the rubber strips and also dividing the rubber strips, assembling the strips side by side with the fibres projecting from one side of the assembly, vulcanizing the rubber strips into a homogeneous whole, and applying a backing layer to the base.

5. The method of making carpeting or the like, comprising embedding parallel, closely spaced fibres in the sides of a plurality of spaced, parallel, transversely arranged strips of unvulcanized rubber, cutting the sheet thus formed into a plurality of strips of rubber with fibres projecting from the edges thereof, assembling these strips in side-by-side relation with the projecting fibres on one side only of the assembly, and vulcanizing.

6. The method of making carpeting or the like, comprising laying a plurality of fibres in closely spaced, parallel relation, placing over the fibres spaced, transverse, parallel strips of unvulcanized rubber, laying over the strips a second layer of fibres parallel with the first, compacting the rubher and fibres, cutting the sheet thus formed along the rubber strips so as to form a plurality of separate strips of rubber with fibres projecting from the edges thereof, and assembling and bonding said strips in side-by-side relation with the projecting fibres on the same side of the assembled structure.

7. The method of making carpeting or the like, comprising laying a plurality of fibres in closely spaced, parallel relation, placing over the fibres spaced, transverse, parallel strips of unvulcanized rubber, compacting the rubber and fibres, cutting the sheet thus formed along the rubber strips so as to form a plurality of separate strips of rubber with fibres projecting from the edges thereof, and assembling and bonding said strips in side-byside relation with the projecting fibres all on one side of the assembled structure.

8. The method of making carpeting or the like, comprising laying a plurality of fibres in closely spaced, parallel relation, placing over the fibres spaced, transverse, parallel strips of unvulcanized rubber, laying over the strips a second layer of fibres parallel with the first, compacting the rub-' her and fibres, cutting the sheet thus formed along the rubber strips so as to form a plurality of separate strips of rubber with fibres projecting from the edges thereof, assembling'and joining said strips in side-by-side relation by vulcanization, with the projecting fibres all on one side of the assembly.

9. The method of making carpeting or the like, comprising laying a plurality of fibres in closely spaced, parallel relation, placing over the fibres spaced, transverse, parallel strips of unvulcanized rubber, compacting the rubber and fibres, cutting the sheet thus formed along the rubber strips so as to form a plurality of separate strips of rubber with fibres projecting from the edges thereof. assembling said strips with the projecting fibres all ing said strips by vulcanization.

FRANK T. LAHEY.

on one side of the assembled structure, and unit- 

